Another side of Haven
by kitt t catte
Summary: Haven has another side, featuring a type of fairies called the Ryeas. Artemis has to go to that side in order to catch a notorious criminal called the Cat. What will happen?
1. Chapter 1

The characters do not belong to me except for all the ryeas. They are the property of the author. No copyright infringment intended.

The fairy communicator buzzed. Artemis Fowl ll sighed. He had been enjoying the peace. Ah, well. Down to business. He flipped open the communicator, noting the somewhat worried look on the elf before him's face. He sighed. No one ever called him simply to say hello. Of course, that could only be expected, he supposed. He was a genius, after all.

"Holly. I don't suppose you called me just to say hello?"

Holly Short smiled, but it was a slightly forced smile. "No, Artemis. Not this time."

Artemis sighed. "I expected as much. What is it then?"

He noticed that Holly was more agitated than normal. This must be bad. "Holly. What is it? It can't be that bad, can it? We've been on dangerous missions together."

Holly attempted another smile, and failed miserably. "I don't know, Artemis. This is pretty bad."

"What is so bad about it?" Artemis pressed.

Holly took a deep breath. "In Haven, there's a People side, and another side. The People side is where you've been every time you've previously visited. The other side is where ryeas live. Ryeas are like cat-human hybrids, except they also have fairy blood. They have many cat characteristics, like cat claws instead of fingernails, slit pupils and slanted eyes, and some of them can talk to cats. Instead of having magical rules like the People, ryeas can do whatever they want and go wherever they want. They have homeless people and slums in the streets, and robberies and murders are frequent. There's a person called the Cat. She's plotting something, and we don't know what. Whatever it is, it's bound to be bad. All she does is bad. We need your help in finding out what it is."

Artemis nodded slowly. "I see. I take it you aren't fond of them?"

Holly shook her head. "They're a disgrace to the People. The Cat is the worst. She's a murderer, a thief, a kidnapper, a poisoner, an assassin, and anything else you can name. She should have been killed years ago."

"Do you have a name to go off of?" Artemis asked. "Surely Foaly's found something on her."

"That's the thing," Holly answered. "Foaly's got nothing on her. A hacker erased her past altogether. We think the hacker's called Whiz, and that he and the Cat are closely connected. Anyway, the reason I'm calling you is that Foaly wants you to come down, and help him look for information on her. I think you should come because if anyone can devise a plan to catch her, it's you."

He nodded. "What strengths does she have? Does she have any weaknesses?"

Holly snorted. "Weaknesses? I wish. She's got the speed and strength of a cat, she can see in the dark, and she's got as much magic as Qwan and No1 do. She's an awesome knife thrower, she rivals Butler in martial arts, and she can control fire. It's also said she can talk to cats and turn into them. That good enough for you?" Artemis smiled slightly. "I suppose two heads are better than one. But there is a small complication."

Holly frowned. "Which is?"

"My parents are away on a trip, and the twins are with me. I can't get a babysitter for them, as they've scared away all the ones in town. Butler is coming with me to Haven, and Juliet's off on a wrestling trip. So…"

Holly nodded. "Bring them with you," she said. "They're too young to understand what's going on, and the ryeas won't feel threatened if you've got children with you."

Artemis smiled. "That'll work, I suppose. Since you're calling me, am I to believe that a shuttle's ready?"

Holly grinned. "You know us too well. It's ready at Tara; you know where the entrance is. I'm in it right now."

"I'll be there," Artemis said, grinning. In his mind, he was already plotting. This was the start of something huge; he could feel it.

Chapter End Notes:

Please review! What do you think so far? Next chapter coming soon!


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry it took me so long, I was in Alaska with no access to a computer. Thanks for the reviews!

It was nighttime in Haven, and something was happening. Actually, it wasn't Haven, it was the Ryean side of Haven, and the "something" was a meeting. A very large meeting. Several of the Ryean gang leaders had decided that the LEP were getting too obnoxious for their liking, and the meeting was to decide what to do about it. But although the leaders were important, the final verdict would be decided by the girl in the corner of the table. The Cat always had the final word.

Without the mask, she was just another girl, just another ryea. True, she was beautiful, a cat type of beautiful. Her black hair was raven black, her slanted blue eyes sapphire, her white skin enamel. But without the mask, there was nothing to define her. You could look at her, try to figure her out- and fail. Her curvy yet athletic body could belong to a sports player, but the gang tattoo on her temple dissuaded that. She was good with kids, she could be a babysitter, but she was too deadly for that. So what was she, or more accurately, who was she?

Her name was Keara Desculy. She was a ryean/human partblood, with no living ryean relatives left. She had a human family too, but she didn't know them. She had become the Cat at age eight, when the old Cat was killed. She was the deadliest fighter the streets had ever known, and by the time she was 18, she had killed over twenty people. It was Keara who now sat, watching the gang leaders as they argued.

A handsome young man named Avin stood up. He was the gang leader of a gang called Bulldogs. They didn't get along with the Cat's gang, the Maya'el, and as soon as he stood up, the Cat knew there was bound to be trouble.

"See, the problem here is, no matter how many people fight, the LEP are going to win, because they don't have honor. I say that we fight like them, and let go of our stupid codes. Then we will have a chance!" He spat, and glared in Keara's direction.

Keara shifted slightly and looked at him. "How is that going to help? We'd be as bad as them if we did that. Besides, the LEP would use that against us. You know how it is with them."

Another gang leader, this time an elderly woman, also stood. "Pussycat's right, Avin. The LEP don't have honor, it's true, but we aren't like 'em. But there is a couple problems, just not the one you said."

Cat frowned, and looked at her. Myna often had good advice, and she wasn't going to ignore her now. "How so?"

Myna fidgeted uncomfortably. "Well, it's just that you're a partblood, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I am. Your point?"

"Every ryean partblood has a twin. You do too. And…"

Keara scowled. "And what? I know I have a twin, so what?"

Myna took a breath, and let her words out in a rush. "Ryean twins die at the same time. If someone found your twin, you could be killed through him."

The Cat froze, trying to control her thoughts. It was possible. "Great. Just great," she muttered through clenched teeth. This had deadly potential. She had enough problems as it was. She looked at the leaders. "Could we come back some other time and talk it over? I need to think this over."

The gang leaders nodded, and began slipping out through various doors. Keara sighed, and waited till everyone was out before slipping out through a hole in the roof. She trotted to the edge of the roof, and flipped off, landing safely on the ground. A figure came towards her. It stopped a few feet away, and glared at her, waiting for her to speak. Keara sighed. "I know I should have known, and that it probably won't matter, so can we skip the lecture?"

"No!" the figure said firmly. "You take these things way too seriously. No one asides from you knows what your family's name is. Do you even remember it?"

The Cat sighed. "Kind of. It's like Fole or Foow or Oowel or Fal or something like that. The family lives somewhere in England or Scotland or one of those countries."

"See?" The figure exclaimed. "You donno what it is, and it be your family. So lighten up. Mea's waitin' for you."

"I bet," the Cat muttered, fighting a grin. Mea was her little sister, and was firmly convinced that the Cat should be home earlier. "She should be in bed."

The figure shot her a look. "You tell her that, and see how far you get," he retorted. "She be more stubborn than you. If that's possible."

The Cat laughed out loud. "Good point."

"Hey, did you hear about the genius they're using to try and catch you?" he asked suddenly. "They brought in an eighteen year old genius kid. He's helped the LEP before. Name of Artemis Fowl."

Keara frowned. "Artemis Fowl? I've heard of him. Isn't he the dude Avin makes jokes about all the time because he can't run?"

"That's the one," the figure confirmed. "He's weaker that a two year old. Artemis has himself a bodyguard. Wouldn't last a day in the streets."

Keara smiled suddenly, and he gulped. He knew that smile all too well. "What are you planning?" he asked suspiciously. "You've got that vampire grin of yours on your face right now."

"I think," the Cat said slowly, "that I've got to go with Avin's idea."

"What, the one where we use sewer pipes to flood Haven? Or the one about the cat attack?"

She chuckled. "Neither. The one where we fight without honor to get the LEP."

The figure choked audibly. "What? You. Fighting without honor. Are you serious?"

The Cat grinned. "How good is Mallen at distracting bodyguards?"


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Chapter Notes:

Gotta love little brothers.

Artemis stepped off the pod with a sigh of relief. Who knew the twins would be so noisy? He was a little apprehensive about trying to catch the Cat, but his little brothers had no such fears. Rather, they were thrilled about the fact that they got to go on a "space adventure". Honestly.

His musings were interrupted by an excited shout. "Did you see that thing, Art? It was green and big and hairy!" Myles tugged at Artemis' suit jacket. "Do we get to fight the Cat thingy too? Can we see the cat people? Are you going to fight? Is-"

"Be quiet!" Artemis yelled. "I have more pressing matters to deal with than answering every single question of yours! And my name is not Art, or Artist, or anything to do with that. It is Artemis."

His other little brother, Beckett, snorted. "Of course we are not going to fight the Cat," he said snootily, glaring at his twin brother. "We would get in the way." Then his composure evaporated, and he too began pulling on Artemis. "But could we just help catch her? I've got my little camera I made. We could put it in a spot she goes a lot."

"No!" Artemis said loudly. "You weren't supposed to come at all. We do NOT need your help." He caught sight of Holly smiling, and his face reddened. "You will be staying in Haven with Foaly and Caballine. Don't try to go out into the city by yourself. It's dangerous."

"How come you get to go then?" Myles pouted. "It's not fair. You don't love us!"

Artemis sighed. "Guilt is a textbook psychological manipulation. I see through your ploy, Myles."

Myles dropped the pout and glared at him. "You know too much."

"The only reason you get to go anyway is because Butler's protecting you," Beckett added. "He could protect us too!"

"No," Artemis answered firmly. He turned away, acting as if he didn't see the annoyed expressions on their faces. "Now, Holly, about this Cat...

The twins huddled together. "He thinks he's so great just because he's a genius," Myles muttered.

"He forgot that we aren't stupid either," Beckett growled. "They said on the trip down that they were going to have a meeting."

"One that we aren't allowed in, I'll bet," Myles grumbled.

"That doesn't matter. If we can't go to the meeting, we can sneak out the door while they're busy. Our door won't be locked because where can we go? Then we can find our way to the Ryean side, and find the Cat."

Myles' eyes lit up. "We'll prove to genius boy over there that we're not stupid little kids!"

Beckett elbowed him. "Quiet! They've finished talking! Stand there and look innocent."

Artemis glared at them. They were up to something. Their "we didn't do it" looks were on their faces. He sighed, and rubbed his eyes wearily. "We're going into the city. Stay by me and Butler, and don't try to run off. Understand?"

The twins saluted, and chorused "aye aye, sir!" Artemis rolled his eyes and started off into the street. Holly caught up to him, glancing back at the twins as she did.

"They're cute," she commented. "Did they inherit your brains? Your criminal mind?"

"I'm not sure," Artemis admitted. "There are times when they seem smart enough, but they act like little kids at other times. They aren't criminals; I know that much. I'm worried that they'll disobey me and go running off. From what you told me about the Cat, she'll have no qualms about hurting two little boys."

Holly squirmed. "Well, that's the strange thing about the Cat. She hasn't hurt any little kids. I think it's an honor thing. She doesn't hurt innocents, and although I hate to say it, she actually only kills people who deserve it. But there's always a chance that she could kidnap them to get back at you."

Artemis looked at her. "It's not just that; there are other people in the city who would kidnap or kill them without thinking about it. Holly, if the ryean streets are anything like the human streets, there are bound to be murderous psychopaths. I have associated with those types of people."

Holly nodded. "Somehow, I don't doubt it. But the kids will be safe. They can't escape from Police Plaza." Famous last words.

They arrived at Police Plaza without any incidents. Artemis pushed through the doors behind Holly, the twins following hesitantly. Butler came through last, slightly stooping as he did.

Artemis passed through hallways and rooms, stopping at the Operations Booth. The twins peeked out from behind him, staring at the strange creature that was sitting on a swivel chair, scanning the computers.

"Foaly," Artemis said. The centaur spun around so fast that he knocked off the tinfoil hat and crashed into a desk. The twins giggled slightly.

"Don't do that, Fowl!" Foaly complained. "Ever since we started looking for the Cat, I've been jumpier than usual. Fighting the Cat does that to a person. And who are they?"

Artemis took a breath. "They are my twin brothers. The one with green eyes is Beckett, and the miniature version of me is Myles. Holly approved their coming down here. Now, if we could get down to business?"

Foaly nodded. "The boys' room is right down this hall. Why don't you get them situated before we have the meeting?" He looked at Artemis.

Their brother nodded. "Alright, you two, come with me," he ordered. "Bring your sleeping bags." The twins followed him obediantly. Foaly watched them go.

"Was that wise, bringing them down here?" He remarked to Holly. "Although yes, the Cat doesn't hurt children, other people might try."

"Safer than they would be alone in Fowl Manor," Holly said. "Artemis' parents are on a vacation."

Foaly nodded. "I see."

Artemis Fowl reentered the room. "They're set up. Now, about this Cat. What information do you have so far?"

"We know she has black hair, and white skin. She's thought to be a member of the gang Maya'el. The Maya'el is unique in the fact that they take in innocents and protect them, like families and orphans. Only the warriors, that's their status, of the Maya'el actually fight. She's deadly, knows how to poison people, thought to be about 26 years of age."

Artemis nodded. "Is this Cat thing a recent problem, or did it start a while ago?"

Holly and Trouble looked at each other. "The Cat title itself has been passed down through various people for over 6,ooo years. Each Cat is a girl younger than 12 when they start. They become the Cat when a magical tattoo appears on their left temple. The tattoo symbolizes that the old Cat was killed or immobilized, and that the girl is her successor. The Cat is gifted with extreme speed and strength, and is a fire controller. It can be a partblood, or a fullblood ryea. The Cat is supposedly the warrior of the Eastside. Besides that, we don't really know."

Artemis frowned. "That is too vague. Anything specific?"

"No," Holly answered, shaking her head in frustration. "That's why we need your help."

"I see," Artemis said slowly. It would be difficult, but then again, he was a genius. "What about-"

He was cut off by a commotion on the computer. "Come over here!" Foaly cried in excitement. "We might have something on the Cat!"

Back in the boys' room, the twins were plotting their escape. "Give it five more minutes," Beckett muttered. They sat their, counting the seconds. "That's good enough- let's go!" They crossed the room to the door, opened it warily, and slipped outside. They met with no problems until they came to a well-lit room. They had to go pass the doorway to get to the door. Myles froze, and put a finger to his lips as they heard their brother's unmistakeable voice.

"-Have to find where she hides," Artemis' voice sounded. "We can't find her on this information."

Beckett peeked carefully into the rooms. With relief he noticed that the occupants of the room were facing the computers. He whispered in Myles' ear, "They aren't looking- move!" The two boys dashed across the doorway. Now only one door stood between them and the city- but it was locked.

Myles hissed, "Can you hack it? I think that computer's controlling it," pointing to a small computer across from them.

"Hang on," Beckett muttered. "Sending a false signal- ah, here we go!" The door lifted with barely a creak. The two boys slipped out easily.

Back in the OP booth, Foaly frowned, and turned around. "Did someone just leave? I thought I heard the door open."

Artemis shook his head. "The only other people in here are the twins, and they would have had to hack into the system to get out. No six-year-old can do that."

Maybe not a normal one.


	4. Chapter 4

Artemis finished outlying the basics of his plan. He wasn't sure how well it was going to work, but it was worth a try. Inwardly, he sighed at the skeptical looks on Holly and Trouble's faces. "Yes?" He demanded.

"Well, the thing is, Artemis, it's a little dependant on the Cat caring about the girl Mea," Holly answered hesitantly. "We don't know who Mea is. All we have to go off of is the audio clip. And the ryeas won't help. So..."

"I see your point," Artemis said, sighing. "But this plan is the best we've had so far. The rest were completely ridiculous. It stands to reason that if she has someone waiting for her, they are related or friends. If the worst happens, the consequence is we lose the Cat. Are we willing to risk it?"

Holly and Trouble exchanged glances. Their musing was cut short by a loud bray. "I don't know about you two, but I'm in," Foaly declared. He looked at them. "Are you?"

Holly finally nodded. "I'm in." Trouble also nodded.

"Good," Artemis, trying not to let the relief show on his face. "Before we leave, Butler, would you go check on the twins? Just to make sure they're not up to anything."

Butler nodded, and swiftly left the room. Artemis stared off into space, trying to gather his thoughts. He was interrupted by Butler's reentry. "They were supposed to be in the room right down the hall?" Butler asked his young charge.

"Yes," Artemis answered, abruptly rising. "Were they in there?"

"No," Butler responded. "The sleeping bags were rolled out, and their backpacks were still there, but they weren't in. I checked the closets."

Artemis pursed his lips. "Is it possible that they were the ones who opened the door?" He asked Foaly.

"Could be," the centaur responded. "It would explain why my computers didn't register it. To get out, they would have had to send a Wi-Fi signal. Could they do that?"

"Easily," Artemis answered testily.

"But they're just kids!" Holly objected.

"Kids related to me," Artemis responded grimly. "If they did run away, I'm locking them in their rooms when I catch up to them." He looked at the people in the room. "I need to find them. If you could assist me?"

Holly and Trouble both nodded. They rose, and together the foursome exited and went out into the busy streets.

The twins, on the other hand, were not concerned about where they were at all. Before entering the ryean side of Haven, they had acquired a map. According to them, that was all they needed to be safe.

Gotta love innocence.

They entered a side alley, and Myles decided it was time for a game. He abruptly hit Beckett on the shoulder. "You're it!" Giggling and running, Myles took off, Beckett close behind.

The two were so intent on their game that they failed to see a small figure kneeling at the side of the alley. Myles put on a burst of speed, and tripped over the figure, knocking her flat.

"I'm sorry!" Myles cried. "I didn't see you there. Are you all right?"

The girl grinned, and stood up, tossing her brown hair over her shoulder. "I'm fine. It's only a small scrape." Beckett came running up, and her green eyes widened. "You're twins? Are you partbloods?"

Myles and Beckett didn't know what she meant, and so just shrugged. "I donno. Might be."

The girl nodded, an understanding look in her eyes. "You're orphans? So am I. At least, I think I am. Don't know who my parents are."

"Who takes care of you then?" Beckett asked.

"My sis Keara. 'Cept she's not really my sis, cuz we're not family, but she acts like a sis."

"Mea!" A voice yelled from farther down the alley. "Mea, you little devil, where'd you go? Nami wants you for the soccer game!"

"That's Keara," Mea said with a sigh. "I'd better go."

"We'll come with you," Myles said. "We don't have anything to do." He noted with fascination her slit pupils and pointed ears.

Her face lit up. "Do you want to play soccer with us? Our team really sucks, and we could use extra players."

Myles and Beckett exchanged glances. "We don't really know how to play," Myles admitted.

"That's fine," Mea said encouragingly. "None of us do, asides from Keara, and that's cuz she knows everything. Come on; it'll be fun!"

Myles shrugged. "Why not?" He said, following Mea down the alleyway.

At the end of the alley, a black haired girl was waiting for them. "Keara, they're going to play on my team!" Mea called excitedly to the girl.

"Really? That's good, seeing as you need all the help you can get." Addressing the twins, she added, "Mea can't play soccer at all."

"That's not true!" Mea yelled. "Just because I can't show off like you doesn't mean I can't play!"

"Calm down, Mea," Keara said with a laugh. "I was kidding. What are your names, by the way?"

"I'm Myles, and he's Beckett," Myles answered.

Keara raised an eyebrow. "Interesting names."

Myles just shrugged.

Keara studied them again for a moment, and then nodded. "The soccer fields are this way," she told the twins. "Mea can get the extra jerseys out for you."

Mea grabbed Myles and Beckett's hands, pulling them behind Keara. "The other team doesn't have any really awesome players besides Keara, and that's cuz she's real fast and can dribble good. Look out for Vesto though, caz he shoves and cheats."

"What's dribbling?" Myles asked.

"It's where you run with the ball," Mea explained. She frowned. "You really don't know anything about soccer, do you?"

"No," Beckett answered.

"OK, then," Mea said. "The rules are like this..."

After a short walk they arrived at the soccer field. There was a white goal at each end of the field. The twins noticed that the nets had holes in them and that the frame was rusty. Mea ran over to them, carrying two small red jerseys.

"Here," she panted, handing a jersey to both of them, "I think these'll fit. We're going that way," pointing to her right.

The players came out into the field. Myles was playing defense with Mea, while Beckett played foward with a tall dark-skinned boy. On the other side was Keara with a blond haired boy about Myles' age as fowards, and a brown-haired girl with a red-haired boy served as defense.

The ball was set on the faded center line, and Keara's side got kickoff. Keara started with the ball, passed it to the blond-haired boy, and ran up the sideline. Beckett attacked the foward with the ball, who just passed it straight to Keara in a give-and-go, and Keara slammed it into the net. Their team didn't stand a chance.

At half time, Mea and the rest of their team collapsed in a heap on the sidelines, watching Keara practice shooting goals from halfway down the field.

"She's impossibly good," Myles commented as he watched.

Mea nodded. "Do you see why we always lose?"

"Just maybe," Beckett answered with a laugh. "We weren't much help though.

"It's not your fault," the dark-skinned boy said wearily. "She's just an awesome player. Fastest runner in the streets."

"I believe that," Myles said.

"Do you guys want to-" Mea started to say, but was cut off by a yell.

"Myles! Beckett! There you are!" The twins turned around and saw Artemis, Butler, and Holly standing there. Artemis was absolutely furious. "I told you not to leave your room!" He yelled. Striding foward, he grabbed Myles arm and pulled him to his feet. Holly grabbed Beckett. "You could have been killed!"

"They were safe here," Mea said, getting to her feet. "We were just playing soccer."

"And you are..." Artemis said coldly.

"I'm Mea," Mea answered bravely. "Don't get mad at them. We were just having fun."

"Did you say your name was Mea?" Artemis asked.

"Yes, why?" Mea asked uneasily. She didn't like the strange light in his eyes.

"And are you her older sister?" He asked Keara, who had come over to see what was going on.

"Not exactly," Keara said. "I look after her."

He looked at her for a minute longer, than turned away, dragging Myles and scolding him as he walked. Holly, Butler, and Beckett followed.

Keara watched them go. "That was Artemis Fowl," she commented. "I didn't know he had little brothers. They're not like him; that's for sure."

"Keara, is something wrong?" Mea asked. "He can't possibly know who you are."

"Don't be so sure," Keara answered grimly. "I wonder why he asked you about your name, and then asked me if I was her older sister. He might have found something."

"That's bad, isn't it?" Mea said nervously.

"Very," Keara said. "We need to have the gang meeting again tonight. Something has to be done."


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Chapter Notes:

It's up! Enjoy!

On the way back to the LEP headquarters, Artemis ignored his brothers' complaints. He was too deep in thought over what he had learned to even acknowledge them. If his theory was right, if the mysterious girl they had heard talking over the audio clip was truly the Cat, they could have her in a trap even she couldn't escape from. But that was where the doubts set in, for how could she have survived all these years if she was so careless? No ryea ever caught by the LEP knew who the Cat's real identity was. That was why this was so risky a gamble. If he was wrong, if it was a trap, the LEP sent in to catch her could all die. And that was not something he thought he wanted to risk.  
Artemis was so deep in thought that he failed to notice Holly attempting to get his attention and failing. Failing, that is, until she punched him in the arm.  
Artemis scowled, and rubbed his arm. "Was there a reason for that, or were you just expressing your feelings?" He asked sarcastically.  
Holly scowled back at him. "Yes, Artemis, there was a reason. The reason was that I've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes, but you seem to be up in space. Care to share the problem with me? Or is it too complicated for we regular mortals?"  
Artemis sighed, rubbing his arm distractedly. "Sorry, Holly. I was just thinking about the audio clip and the girl we saw on the field. If our hunch is correct, and that was the Cat, I could have an infallible plan in the making. If I'm wrong, if this is a trap, we could all be killed by her. You did say she was very ruthless."  
Holly rubbed her forehead. "She is. But, come on, Artemis, you can outthink her! You've beaten people much more cunning than she is. Surely you can-"  
Holly broke off. Artemis was shaking his head wearily. "This Cat has been Cat for over ten years. She has to be extremely clever, cunning, and a brilliant fighter to stay Cat that long. I don't know the ways of the streets or of the ryeas; she does. She knows how to manipulate other gangs; she knows how to frame people. A trap this complicated would be elementary to one of her experience. I don't want to risk it. We don't know enough about her to risk it. She could care about this Mea-but only to a limit. She hasn't gotten this far by being soft-hearted."  
Holly sighed. They had reached the headquarters, and for the first time Artemis noticed his brothers' squalls and struggles. "They really didn't want to come, did they?" He remarked to Holly.  
Holly snorted. "You just now noticed that?" She asked. "They've been complaining and arguing the whole way. You must really be oblivious."  
Artemis laughed quietly, and then a shadow crossed over his face. Holly noticed it, and raised an eyebrow. Artemis sighed softly in response to her unspoken question. "I was thinking about my brothers," he said softly. "Thinking about the Cat using them to control me."  
As they entered the building, Holly mulled Artemis' last comment over. "I don't think she will use them," she said finally. "She never has hurt or killed any children. It's one of the few things that make her unique in the streets." Holly fell silent, distracted by Myles' fierce cursing, but Artemis' interest was piqued.  
"She never hurts children?" Artemis asked. This new element could add an interesting twist to his developing plan. "How do you know?"  
Holly shrugged. "It's something the LEP has kept track of. In fact-" she paused, and looked at Artemis with an expectant light in her eyes- "Her enemies have been able to stop her by using a child as a hostage."  
Artemis abruptly turned and headed back down the hallway they had been walking down. Holly jogged to catch up with him. His steps had a renewed vigor in them, and his face held an expression of grim determination. "What are you doing now?" She demanded irritably.  
Artemis didn't bother to look at her as he answered, "Going to Foaly, of course. He could have plenty of information for us on the code of honor these ryeas have. I have a feeling that could have something to do with it."  
Five minutes later, they were in Foaly's office, examining a document he had on the ryean codes. Artemis read the document quickly, his eyes scanning it for crucial details. When he got to a certain section, he stopped and stared. His face became a mask of shock.  
And right there, in front of Holly, Butler, and Foaly, he began to laugh.

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After dropping Mea off at the small shack they called home, Keara set off into the maze of alleyways that surrounded the streets. After seeing the young human at the game, and hearing other people's comments of how alike they looked, there was something she had to ask a friend. A very smart friend, with a network of computers to rival Foaly's.

Traveling through the alleyways, Keara didn't stop until she reached a mound of rubbish blocking the alleyway beyond it. Checking over her shoulder to make sure she hadn't been followed, she then proceded to tap lightly on what appeared to be a sheet of metal. It was actually a motion detector, equiped with the most advanced sensors. A camera detached itself from the mound, and swiveled to face her.

"Identification, please," a cool computerized voice said.

Keara massaged her forehead. She was not in the mood to deal with his paranoia. "Whiz, you can see me, and your voice checks will prove it's me. Let me in before I smash your camera; I am not in the mood for your idiotic verifications."

The cool voice had vanished. In its place was a slightly nasally male voice. "You say that every time, Keara," the voice said with a chuckle. "I can use that to know it's you."

"Isn't that kind of the point?" Keara muttered irritably. "I need you to check something out for me."

"Really?" At the prospect of a challenge, the voice had gotten much more excited. "What is it? Something to do with Lady Moshii? The mercenary gang? A LEP problem?"

Keara sighed. "Something important, that I'm not saying out here," she replied wearily. "I don't trust your machines."

The person on the other end let out an irritated snort. "You should," he said indignantly. "I update them every month. I suppose you could come in, but any more comments like that, and I will kick you out. Literally."

Keara laughed softly to herself as a large piece of metal slid back, revealing a narrow passageway. Whiz was still the same paranoid computer whiz he had been since she had met him on the streets. She was willing to bet he had not brushed his hair since then.

She entered the passageway and walked through it for several minutes, until she came to a brightly lit room with all sorts of machines in it. She ignored the technology, heading straight for a chair by a young ryea also occupying the room.

He was several inches taller than her, but instead of being the normal geeky technician, he was muscular, with a deadly air about him. Keara knew very well that he was every bit as good a fighter as the street toughs hanging out in the seedy bars of the area. His clothes were elegant, but his one flaw in his appearance was his completely tangled hair. It stuck out in every direction, and she wished, not for the first time, that he would brush it. His eyes weren't the typical slit pupiled, having a more round shape to them, and his ears were less pointed than the average ryeas', but besides that, there wasn't much else to prove that he was a halfblood like Keara herself.

As she sat down besides him, he swiveled to face her. Keara was glad to see that a light of determination still burned in his eyes.

"So tell me, Keara," he said casually, "what is it that is so important you need my help to find it? Surely you could hack into whatever site you need and find the information yourself?"

"I could," Keara admitted, "but I don't know exactly what it is I'm looking for. You heard about the human the LEP brought down to help in bringing the Cat down?"

Whiz snorted. "Like he could bring you down," he said dryly, "but yes, I have heard about it. Artemis Fowl, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. Problem is, I think he's a halfblood. And..." She let the rest of her sentence trail off, looking at Whiz expectantly.

"Hmmm..." Whiz murmured, staring off into space. "I'm willing to bet you're right on that. He does look like you... I'd never thought of that." He snapped back into attentiveness, typing rapid commands into his computer. After several minutes of tapping, he settled back in his chair with a satisfied expression. "I think this might be what you are looking for," he said smugly, waving a hand at the computer.

Keara scanned the page quickly. Her face showed no emotion, but inside she felt a mixture of emotions, the most persistant being shock.

"Thanks for helping me, Whiz," she said grimly. "I think that was what I was looking for. Not a word to anyone, okay? I don't want anyone knowing unless I tell them."

Whiz smiled darkly. "I think I understand," he said dryly. "A few gangs would love this opportunity."

Keara laughed, and left swiftly. Back at her room in the shack, she stared blankly at the wall. Before a couple days ago, she would have called anyone who suggested it crazy. It seemed downright impossible.


	6. Chapter 6

Artemis smirked triumphantly at Holly and Foaly. "I think we have it," he said smugly.

Holly was tired and irritated from the long day of looking through documents. The last thing she wanted was to be treated to Artemis' trademark sarcasm. "Artemis, unless you really do have something important, I don't need to hear it. What in the world is so important in the way she attacks?" Holly crossed her arms and glared at Artemis. Foaly watched both of them warily.

Artemis sighed wearily. "Not in the way she attacks specifically, Holly, who she attacks with. The Maya'elite have been seen with her when she attacks other gangs. Not when she takes down one certain person, but when she attacks a group. And there is also the matter of the girl we heard the boy talk about on the audio clip. Mea."

"What about her?" Holly demanded grumpily. "We don't know for sure if the girl on the audio clip was the Cat."

Artemis sighed. "No, but do you remember the girl we met today when we were looking for the twins? Her name was Mea. And she had an older girl with her, who freely admitted she took care of her."

Holly groaned. "Artemis, you're connecting dots that don't exist. Why would that girl make you think she was the Cat? And don't just tell me because she had a lot of knives on her. Every street gang member has a lot of knives or some other weapon."

"For quite a few reasons, actually," Artemis retorted. "One, she was very confidant, and the rest of the ryeas there treated her as their leader. Two, yes she had a lot of knives, and when I came up, she pulled one out very quickly. And three, she had blue eyes, which we've already verified that the Cat also has. Holly, you told me that blue eyes aren't very common in ryeas."

Holly threw up her hands in exasperation. "So we go after a girl claiming she's the Cat because she has blue eyes? Artemis, that's ridiculous! I said that it wasn't very common for black-haired ryeas to have blue eyes! There are plenty of blondes that have blue eyes!"

"Yes, but the Cat has black hair," Artemis answered calmly, unperturbed by Holly's outburst. "And I have another reason to think she could be the Cat."

He turned to one of the computers and pulled up a video clip the LEP had recovered from an officer's visor. "Foaly, would you mind enlargening this and playing it?"

Foaly shrugged, and gave Artemis an odd look. "Is there a reason you want this particular video, Mud Boy?"

Artemis gave him his best vampire smile. "Yes, actually. Now, if you wouldn't mind…"

Foaly sighed, and brought the video up to fill the screen, and pushed play. The clip started, showing the Cat attacking a young man Foaly had already verified as a member of the Mercenary gang. In the middle of the clip, Artemis snapped, "Pause it!"

Startled, Foaly paused the film, and turned back to Artemis. The boy was staring intently at a small shadow in the corner of the screen. Turning back to Foaly, Artemis said, "Zoom into the alleyway there."

Foaly snorted, and expertly tapped in a command. The alleyway was blown up to reveal the shape of a person standing in the alleyway.

"Would you enlarge that?" Artemis asked quietly. The figure on the screen was quickly made larger to the point that a girl's face and dark hair was evident on the screen. Artemis smirked. "She has quite the resemblance to the girl we met today."

Foaly was already busily typing commands. "I'm going to run a face check," he said hurriedly. "Thanks to the camera in your visor, Holly, we have a picture of the other girl as well." He pulled both images onto the screen, and typed in another command. Immediately, red dots started to go across the faces of the girls. The procedure was finished in less that a minute.

"Face comparison finished," a female voice droned. "The features match in 100 of the areas. Though there is a 0.008 chance of severe error."

"Those odds work for me," Artemis said smugly. "I think you have to say that this is the same girl in both pictures. And now, why would a young girl be out very late at night, watching the Cat attack someone, unless they have a specific reason to do so? A specific reason, like, say, the Cat is their older sister?"

Holly and Foaly looked at each other. "I hate it when he's right," Holly grumbled.

"This still doesn't prove it though, Artemis," Foaly warned. "It could still be a coincidence."

Artemis nodded. "I agree," he said. "But the odds of that are very small. And I could show you several other videos with her in them as well. As of the moment, I think the best plan to go by would be to try and lure the Cat out by attacking her sister. Hopefully, the LEP can assemble a force strong enough to catch her in a way she can't escape from."

Holly shook her head. "I think this plan would just anger the ryeas if we actually did take the girl."

Artemis frowned. "How so?"

Holly stared at him. "Has your head been up in the clouds all day? We've been going through the gang codes and you don't remember what they said? Artemis, the one thing none of the gangs, not even the more ruthless ones like the Mercenaries, is attacking the innocents. A young girl that could be the sister of the Cat is considered an innocent, no matter who the sister is. That's why this hasn't been tried before. All the gangs know who the Cat is. They probably know who her sister is, too. For heaven's sake, Artemis, all the ryean gangs know all about her: her gang, her family, and her friends. There's a reason as to why the ryeas don't do this to try and get rid of her!"

Artemis sat back in his chair. For a split second, Holly got the satisfaction of watching shock cross his face. "I did forget," he said wearily. "How badly will it anger them, do you have a guess?"

Holly frowned. "Pretty badly, I'd say. Going with your theory that her gang is the Maya'elite, which is a powerful gang in the Westside and Eastside of the ryean part of Haven, I'd have to say that if they get angry over us taking the girl to lure the Cat out, they could get both those sides to rebel."

Artemis frowned. "You never mentioned sides before," he remarked. "Was the city in which we went into just one side?"

Nodding, Holly said, "That side was the Westside. It's the least corrupted of all the sides, relatively speaking, of course. The Eastside is a little worse, but not that bad either. At least, not that bad to the ryeas. The Southside is a drug land. There's not a single person there that doesn't get high from illegal drugs. The Southside is run by a man called the Druglord, and the only reason we haven't taken care of him yet is because he has his own private army."

Holly fell quiet, and stared at the computer screen for a while. Artemis waited for a minute before prodding, "And what about the Northside?"

"Well," Holly said, "We're not really sure." She sighed for a moment and looked up at Artemis. "There are a lot of stories in the streets about the Northside being a mad scientist land, with lots of psychos in it. Those legends have never been proven. All we know for certain is that the Cat absolutely hates it. She won't let anybody from the Northside come over to the Westside."

"That's not completely accurate," Foaly said. "We know a little bit more than that. It has been verified that there is, or was, a man with the title of "The Angel of Death." He took children from other sides, preferably the Westside, to use in his experiments. But like Holly said, we don't really know for sure. And the Cat really does hate it. There are a lot of tales concerning her and the Angel of Death fighting and such. A lot of people say that she killed him in revenge for him taking children from the Westside."

"Hmm..." Artemis mused. "If we could find out whether those legends are true or not, it could add to what we know of the Cat. But in the meantime, I'd have to say we should still plan to take Mea if we can. As soon as possible." He looked at Holly and Foaly. "Do you agree?"

They never got a chance to argue, because right then the wall exploded.

As the drums sounded the beat for the gang meet, Keara took her typical spot at the head of the table in the small back room. The various gang leaders trickled in, taking their spots and positioning bodyguards behind them so no one could sneak up from behind.

The mood tonight was unusually tense, more so than it normally was. All the leaders in there were aware that something had happened. But the question on their minds was, what happened?

As soon as all the gang leaders were in the room, the door was bolted, and the room checked for listening devices. Keara stood, waiting for the leaders' attention.

"As you know," she began, starting with what the rest of them already knew. Keara was not one for fiery speeches, contrary to stereotypes. "The LEP has brought down a human to help take us down." She knew very well that if she fell without an heir, they all fell. "His name is Artemis Fowl," she continued grimly. All of the leaders in there had heard of him, and so she was expecting the gasps of shock that followed.

The leader of the Bloodfist gang rose to speak. Although Keara did not agree with all of his gang's ideas, she did respect their leader. He was well known as an excellent strategist when it came to fights against the LEP. "I don't see why this is such a problem," he drawled, looking Keara in the eye. "They've brought experts here before, to try and stop us. We just get rid of them. There's no reason why we can't do that again, as far as I can see."

Keara smiled grimly. "Yeah, normally, I would agree. But there's just a slight problem with that this time." She hesitated for a moment, not really ready to tell the gangs. Not even her own gang had known. "Most of you know that I'm a halfblood," she said, looking around the room. "And as you know, that means I've got a twin. Well, guess who that twin is?" She stopped, wondering if they would guess it.

The Mercenary gang leader gasped. "Oh, no," he said with a groan. "Please tell me it's not Artemis Fowl himself!"

Keara looked at him in mild surprise. "Well, actually…" She let the sentence trail off.

"You can't be serious," another gang leader insisted. "He's not a halfblood, is he?" She looked around the room, obviously waiting for somebody to agree with her.

"I'm not so sure," the Bloodfist leader said slowly. He looked up at her. "I was watching those two boys at the soccer game there. They looked like halfbloods to me, and they were his brothers. If they're halfbloods, so's he."

"You had his brothers with you?" A furious voice rang out. Avin was on his feet, looking like he wanted to attack her. "You can't just hang out with the enemy, Cat! That was stupid!"

"Say that again, Avin," Keara said, her patience cracking. "I was not "hanging out" with the enemy, idiot. Mea found them on the street and wanted to play with them. And besides, they can't very well help who their brother it, now can they?" She sat back down, shaking her head. "Next, you'll be wanting me to act like the LEP and attack innocents. Holy crap, Avin! That's pretty low, even for you."

"Can we get off the whole idiotic discussion now?" A voice demanded. Keara's second in command, Mikhail Vinte, appeared from the shadows he had been in. "The bigger problem is the fact that he's her twin, and Lady Misci can kill her by killing him. Because personally, I think Lady Misci is a bigger problem, seeing as her people are walking in our streets in day hours, which I thought they weren't allowed to do. So, she's probably a bigger problem than the LEP right now."

"What?" Several voices rang out together at once. Lady Misci was a former street girl that had gone on to create her own army of miscreants. She followed none of the codes and rules the Eastside and Westside ryeas followed, and was well known for her ruthlessness. She and her people were banned from the Westside, and no gang wanted her to come back.

"Yeah," Mikhail said, nodding. "I think she's a big problem, if she and her damn dogs are going to walk here. First thing we need to do is not let any word of this get outside here." He looked around the room, stopping at Avin. Mikhail glared at him. "Is that clear?"

Avin nodded, scowling.

"Well," Keara said, breaking up Avin and Mikhail's glaring contest, "If we're done with all the macho crap, we might want to decide if we're fighting Maddie or not." Misci's name had been Maddie in her childhood, and to irritate her, Keara still called her that. "And by fighting, I don't mean skulking in the shadows, throwing knives at her people. I mean attacking her base, and taking her down for good. The LEP don't care about her, so we've got to do it ourselves." She looked around the table, making eye contact with everyone there. "Are you in?"

A chorus of ayes rang out. Keara grinned. "Then it's on, mates," she declared. "If Maddie wanted a fight, she's found one here!


End file.
